James F. Sallis, Ph.D.Distinguished Professor, Family and Preventive Medicine
University of California, San Diego

Neighborhood Environment Walkability Scale (NEWS)

Developed in 2002, NEWS assesses residents' perception of neighborhood design features related to physical activity, including residential density, land use mix (including both indices of proximity and accessibility), street connectivity, infrastructure for walking/cycling, neighborhood aesthetics, traffic and crime safety, and neighborhood satisfaction. NEWS has been validated in several countries. Multiple versions h ave been developed. We recommend use of the NEWS-CFA version.

Key differences between original NEWS and NEWS-CFA scales: The residential density and land use mix-diversity subscales were not appropriate for inclusion in the multi-level CFA, so they remain the same. The multi-level CFA tested both individual-level (participant) subscales and blockgroup-level (census unit) subscales.

NEWS-CFA Scoring procedures

Follow-up multi-level confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) of the NEWS was conducted using data from the Neighborhood Quality of Life Study (NQLS) in the U.S. The scoring procedures described here are based on these confirmatory factor analyses.

Neighborhood Environment Walkability Scale (NEWS) Sample Survey

98-question instrument that assesses the perception of neighborhood design features related to physical activity, including residential density, land use mix (including both indices of proximity and accessibility), street connectivity, infrastructure for walking/cycling, neighborhood aesthetics, traffic and crime safety, and neighborhood satisfaction. Original version used in Neighborhood Quality of Life Study.

The NEWS-A is an abbreviated version of the Neighborhood Environment Walkability Scale (NEWS). The abbreviated version was created in 2007 in an attempt to provide a more succinct and empirically-derived measure of various aspects of the built environment we purport to be
related to walking.

The NEWS-Y was created in 2009 in an attempt to provide a more succinct and empirically-derived measure of various aspects of the built environment we purport to be related to walking in youth. Parent version.
Rosenberg, D. Ding, D., Sallis, J.F., Kerr, J., Norman, G.J., Durant, N., Harris, S.K., & Saelens, B.E.

The NEWS-Y was created in 2009 in an attempt to provide a more succinct and empirically-derived measure of various aspects of the built environment we purport to be related to walking in youth. Adolescent version.
Rosenberg, D. Ding, D., Sallis, J.F., Kerr, J., Norman, G.J., Durant, N., Harris, S.K., & Saelens, B.E.